The Viking Mentality – Unlocking Mental Resilience

This One Story Changed My Life Forever… And It Can Change Yours Too!

Most People FAIL at Mental Resilience Because of This One Mistake. I Did Too—Until I Discovered This Game-Changing Mindset.

🔥 The Struggle

If you're like me, being a father means long days. Long days mean little rest and a lot to do. One particular Friday, I was tested in exhaustion, disappointment, and self-doubt. Here's how that day went:

4:30 AM – Alarm goes off, and I head to the gym.

6:15 AM – Breakfast with my great friend/brother.

7:30 AM – Start work (I work from home, so no commute!).

10:15 AM – Time for a break, but my three children (ages 4, 2, and 4 months) needed their dad.

10:30 AM – Resume work.

12:00 PM – Lunch break! But first—rock the baby to sleep, put the toddlers to bed, and help my wife, who was having a hard day of her own.

1:00 PM – Afternoon meetings begin.

4:30 PM – Off work—finally, time to enjoy the weekend!

5:00 PM – Time to help the fussy baby.

6:30 PM – Get stomped on by my 4-year-old right where it counts before rocking my 4-month-old baby back to sleep.

8:00 PM – All the kids are asleep, and I am EXHAUSTED.

Throughout the day, I was looking forward to moments of rest—refueling with coffee or food and doing things for me. Over and over again, I had to say no to myself and take care of other priorities. I became frustrated, irritable, and mad.

"Why can't I just catch a break?" I thought to myself. I was drowning in exhaustion and looking forward to satisfying my desires with a six-pack of beer and Netflix after the kids went to bed.

But that’s when I remembered a story I had learned just a few days earlier—a story that changed my life.

💡 The Breakthrough

I remembered the Vikings of old, also called the Northmen. They were known for resilience, endurance, and utter destruction. Curious about why they were so tough, I did some research—and what I found blew my mind.

Here’s a snippet from the famous Battle of Stamford Bridge:

"The apocalyptic battle at Stamford Bridge is a red-letter event in military history and a fantastic example of the Viking warrior ethos. It is also a tremendous example of what Vikings could physically be capable of. For a real Viking, rowing across the sea for weeks and conquering York was just a warm-up for running ten miles in blistering heat before fighting for your life for hours. That’s how tough Vikings were."

Reading what these men were capable of was a wake-up call.

In Viking culture, boys started training as warriors around 15 or 16. They consumed massive amounts of protein and were extremely physically fit. They rowed for hours to reach their destinations—sometimes in two-hour shifts.

And in this battle?

1️⃣ They rowed across a sea for weeks.

2️⃣ They conquered a city.

3️⃣ They ran 10 miles in blistering heat.

4️⃣ They fought to the death.

And here I was, thinking I had it hard rocking a baby to sleep.

The Vikings gave me a wake-up call: God made men tough. God made men mentally tough.

Instead of grabbing the beer that night, I grabbed the Bible—for perhaps the first Friday night I could remember.

🚀 An Action Plan

What I call The Viking Mentality is the mindset that we, as men, have what it takes to reshape difficult circumstances into ones we can conquer—or die trying.

For too long, I lived as a soft man—pursuing comfort, pleasure, and whatever satisfied me in the moment. But that only led to deterioration, frustration, and exhaustion. I stopped choosing the hard things and instead took the easy way out. Instead of facing my feelings, I grabbed a beer.

But that Friday night was different.

Instead of reaching for alcohol, I reached for God. Instead of numbing my exhaustion, I surrendered it to Him.

So let me ask you: Which one—beer or the Bible—will have a greater impact on your mental health, physical toughness, and overall well-being?

I knew the answer wasn’t alcohol. I fought hard not to grab it. I decided to reshape my circumstances—knowing I could conquer the pain or die trying.

But here’s the good news: As disciples of Jesus, we don’t have to do this alone.

That same day, my friend refreshed my soul in a way I didn’t know I needed. My wife encouraged me in my self-doubt. And Jesus was my rock—the only one who could take the burden of exhaustion and the pain of selfishness away.

You don’t have to fight alone, either.

So, what will you choose? Comfort or resilience? Numbing or conquering? A temporary escape or true strength in Christ?

It’s time to reclaim the toughness God designed you with.

It’s time to fight! 💪